Dad is my pride and joy.

My father was born on April 30th, but in 1954. This was the year of the glorious Dien Bien Phu victory, "renowned throughout the world and shaking the earth." Born and raised during wartime, he was deeply imbued with revolutionary ideology. At 13, he joined the revolution in the jungle. His childhood was spent trekking through forests and wading through streams, hearing more gunfire and bombs than laughter and conversation. Back then, he was a young messenger boy, running under bombs and bullets to carry out his missions. For him, his comrades on the battlefield were family, and the mountains and forests were his home.

As a child, I often heard my father recount his memories of the war against the Americans. He said he once drank water from a stream contaminated with Agent Orange, which the American army had sprayed, causing immense suffering to our people. But he was very fortunate that when his children were born, both sons and daughters, none of them were affected by Agent Orange. That was the greatest happiness for him.

My paternal grandparents only had my father. Due to the war, they lost contact, and then my grandmother also left my father alone because of the war. My father was loved and cared for by his comrades and grew up in that warm embrace. On the day the South was completely liberated, April 30, 1975, my father turned 21. The joy was overwhelming, a moment of happiness shared by the entire nation…

Then my father went to reclaim new land, which was Tan Thanh commune in the former Song Be province (now Binh Phuoc province). It was there that my father and mother met and got married. My siblings and I were born one after another, enjoying a good life in peacetime. Through the stories of wartime experiences my father had, he taught us to become good people and useful members of society.

My father, who always lived by the ideals of the Party and our beloved President Ho Chi Minh, instilled in us a love and pride for Vietnam. He often told us about history; seeing and touching the medals and decorations he was awarded, we felt even more proud and respectful of him. These are priceless gifts from our heroic youth, now left to us.

As we grew up, Dad grew older. He joined the local veterans' association and received benefits for those who had contributed to the revolution. Dad was hot-tempered and upright in raising his children, but his love for his children was boundless. As a daughter, I wasn't as close to him as I was to Mom, but I felt his love for me was always greater than for my older and younger brothers. Perhaps it's because I'm his only daughter, isn't it, Dad?

As April arrives, the land and sky seem to rejoice in the grand celebration, and everyone eagerly welcomes the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country.

Dad is no longer here to share in that joy. All the memories come flooding back. Your daughter misses you so much! I cried watching so many videos of that historic April 30th, and I listened to and memorized the news report: "...the victory we just received. At exactly 11:30 a.m., our troops entered Saigon, capturing the Independence Palace. The puppet regime's General Staff - Duong Van Minh - surrendered unconditionally. The red flag with a yellow star fluttered proudly atop the Independence Palace. The Ho Chi Minh Campaign was a complete victory."

Thank you and I deeply appreciate the sacrifices of previous generations for the independence, freedom, and peace of our country, so that we, the younger generation, can have the beautiful life we have today. Happy April 30th, the day of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. Happy birthday, Dad. Thank you for giving me the chance to be your child. I am always proud of you!

Hello, dear viewers! Season 4, themed "Father," officially launches on December 27, 2024, across four media platforms and digital infrastructures of Binh Phuoc Radio and Television and Newspaper (BPTV), promising to bring to the public the wonderful values of sacred and beautiful fatherly love.
Please send your touching stories about fathers to BPTV by writing articles, personal reflections, poems, essays, video clips, songs (with audio recordings), etc., via email to chaonheyeuthuongbptv@gmail.com, Editorial Secretariat, Binh Phuoc Radio and Television and Newspaper Station, 228 Tran Hung Dao Street, Tan Phu Ward, Dong Xoai City, Binh Phuoc Province, phone number: 0271.3870403. The deadline for submissions is August 30, 2025.
High-quality articles will be published and shared widely, with payment for their contributions, and prizes will be awarded upon completion of the project, including one grand prize and ten outstanding prizes.
Let's continue writing the story of fathers with "Hello, My Love" Season 4, so that stories about fathers can spread and touch everyone's hearts!

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/19/171982/ba-la-niem-tu-hao-cua-con